1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to livestock feeders and in particular to livestock feeders adapted to be used on the ground or mounted off the ground in stalls or on fences.
2. Related Art
Livestock feeders used on the ground are usually designed with a special shape, such as bucket-shaped, that are adapted to sit on the ground or to be mounted within old auto tires to keep the livestock, such as horses, from tipping over the feeder. Livestock feeders have also been rectangularly or square-shaped to sit directly on the ground and which provide inadequate drainage after a rain. Typically, known livestock feeders have smooth inside walls that slope outwardly enabling the livestock, and in particular horses, to rake the feed out with their nose. Such feeders are also susceptible to being overturned by the hooves of the livestock.
Stall type livestock feeders are adapted to be hung from brackets or otherwise suspended by hooks or snaps connecting through I-bolts or U-bolts in the feeding trough. Wire brackets or plastic rings are mounted around the top rim of the feeders to keep the livestock from scooping grain over the side of the feeder. However, such wire brackets or plastic rings are very dangerous as haltered livestock, and in particular horses, can become hung on the feeder by the halter snagging the brackets or plastic rings. Moreover, should the livestock succeed in getting a hoof over the rim of the bracket, injury may result to the hooves or legs when the animal attempts to extract itself from the feeder.
U.S. Pat. No. 439,298 (Hutter) discloses a manger A which can be mounted on two vertically spaced apart support plates D mounted in a corner between two walls B and C, the manger including a diagonal side 4 that extends between the two sides 2 and 3 and two vertically spaced apart fingers F which are attached to the diagonal side 4 and are respectively mountable on the support plates D.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,102,371 (Warren) discloses a rectangular feed box which is pivotally mounted within a supporting frame that can be mounted in a corner between two walls.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,259,790 (Shirley) discloses a generally rectangular feed manger which is pivotally mountable within a frame which can be attached to a wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,658,709 (Kendall) discloses a bowl-shaped animal feeder which uses tapered ribs 2 on its inner surfaces to prevent loss of feed due to "nosing" by the feeding animal.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,205,861 (Moore) discloses a feed tub 10 which can be mounted on two converging wood beams 18 and 19 by bolts 15, 16 and 17 which also retain a feed saver ring 30 in the tub.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,329,321 discloses a watering pail 10 which can be mounted in a corner between two walls by a bail 20 that is attached to both walls.